Thomas h



(No Mdel.)

` T. H. GIBBON'."

RAILWAY RAIL'JOIN.

No. 288,794. PatmeN0-o-1s.

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', l U NITgED STATES PATENT Orric..

THOMAS vH. GIBBON, OF` ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DUDLEY FARLIN,

`OF SAME PLAGE.

RAILWAY-RAIL JolNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 288,704, dated November 20, 1,883.

Appiicanon mea July 26, 1883. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. GIBBON, of the city and county of Albany, in the State of New York, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Bail Joints, of which the following is a specification. j

My invention relates to improvements in that class of rail-joints in which the conjoining ends of thelengths of rails have their heads cut away to receive aconnecting-piece provided with a head which conforms to the shape of the rail-head. l

The objects of my improvement are to provide an effective and reliable joint of simple construction, and to afford the means for interlocking the connecting device with the cross-ties, so as to prevent the spreading of the rails, and thereby avoid a most frequent source ofserious accidents. These objects I attain by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis aside elevation of myimproved joint; Fig. 2, a plan view of same; Fig. 3, a transverse section at theline x x of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a side elevation of connecting-piece, and Fig. 5 a side elevation of one end of a length of rail.

As illustrated in the drawings, A indicates the rails; B, the connecting-piece; C, the fastening-plate, and D the cross-tie.

The railsAmaybe made of any of the forms of T-rail that are commonly used, or of any other form that is suitable for containing my form of j oint. At each end of every length of said rail the head a should be cut away, as at a', Fig. 5, to a distance that is equal to one- 'half of the length of the head of the connecting-piece, and to such a depth as will leave the upper edge ofthe web a2 uniform in thick-` ness with the remainder of said web. rlhe said cutting away may be effected in such manner as to form a right angle, as shown in Fig. 5; or, when preferred, `the corner of the angle may be filleted by leaving a slight curve, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The connecting-piece B is preferably cast of steel, and is provided with a head, b, that conforms to the shape of the head a of the rails.

Integral with the head b are two side plates,

by which a groove, c, is formed to fit upon the web a2 of the rails-and the said side plates project outwardlyto form the flanges b2,which fit snugly over the bottom iianges, a3, of the rails, and are then projected downward to form the vertical ilanges b3, which pass down at each side of the bottom flanges, a3, of the rails, as shown in Fig. 3. The flanges b2 and b3 extend endwise beyond the head b and side plates, b', in the proportion of about three to 60 one, and by this means the weakening of the rails by cutting away of the heads a is reduced to a minimum, and the support afforded to the bottom flanges of the rails is maintained at a maximum. Sufficient space is left between the shoulders d of the flanges b2 to permit the head of the rails to pass through freely. The vertical flanges b3 are provided with longitudinal mortises or openings b4, for receiving the fastening-plate.

'o -The fastening-plate C is adapted to pass 7 through the openings b* of the connectingpiece. The said fastening-plate is provided at one end with hooked projections which prevent the said plate from passing too far into the openings b*-and at both ends it has holes c2, for containing spikes or other means for securing said plate in place.

The cross-tie D is one of the series commonly used on the road-bed for securing the rails to. The said cross-tie is adapted to receive my improved connecting-piece B by having suitable crosswise grooves cut therein to receive thevertical iianges b3, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3, which grooves, by binding the con- 8 necting-pece B sidewise, prevent the rails from spreading at the joints. y

As illustrated in the drawings, my connecting-piece Bis shown as ,when the railjoint comes directly over a cross-tie, D, in which 9o` case the grooves in said cross-tie serve to retain the connecting-piece in place sidewise, and additional security is given to the joint by means of spikes c3, which are driven through the holes c2 into the cross-tie D, and it is in such placesand under like conditions that I prefer to use my improved joint; but it may be used where the joints of the rails. come intermediately between two cross-ties, and nnder such conditions the holes c2 may be utilized for receiving bolts or other stop devices for securing the fastening-piece C in place.

I am aware that the heads of railway-rails have heretofore been out away for the pur pose of receiving a connecting device of different construction from mine; therefore I do not broadly claim the cutting away of the railheads; but

I elaim as my invention- In a rail-joint, the rails A, having the heads of their eonjoining ends out away, as at ct', as. herein described, and a connecting-piece, B, consisting` of a head, b, that conforms to the heads a oi the conjoining rails, side plates, b',

ilanges b2, adapted to iit over the bottom railiian `es a3 and vertical ilanges b3 rovided 7 7 b 7 I) with openings b, the said langes b2 and?)3 being made of greater length than the side plates, b', as herein set forth, in combination With the fastening-piece C and cross-tie D,'the latter being provided With transverse grooves for re ceiving the vertical flanges b3 and retaining the connecting-piece B in place, all substantially as herein specified.

irnos. H. GIBBON.

Witnesses:

S.' L. MAYHAM, IVM. II. LoW. 

